Unfair and Unbalanced

By David Remer, Aug. 23, 2003 PoliWatch.Org

Gail Appleson writes in a Reuters story about the dismissal of Fox News' suit to prevent the sale and dissemination of Al Franken's book, "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them". Fox News sought to abridge Franken's 1st Amendment rights to speech in using the courts to stop the sale of his book by stating that Franken's use of the phrase "fair and balanced" on the cover of his book, violated Fox News' trademark of those same words. The U.S. District Judge Denny Chin said, "This case is wholly without merit both factually and legally."

The religious right is attempting to take control of censoring text books for Texas and many other states through the state Board of Education, the Administration has diligently pursued to keep secret all information from the public which may be injurious to its reelection bid in 2004, and now Fox News has attempted to ascribe virtuous words to itself via trademark and defend itself from criticism based on that trademark. It is truly a gift to be born in America where the Constitution and rule of law, not of men-women, ultimately dooms such authoritarian tactics to failure.